2 Kings 1:11
New International Version
At this the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. The captain said to him, “Man of God, this is what the king says, ‘Come down at once!’”

New Living Translation
So the king sent another captain with fifty men. The captain said to him, “Man of God, the king demands that you come down at once.”

English Standard Version
Again the king sent to him another captain of fifty men with his fifty. And he answered and said to him, “O man of God, this is the king’s order, ‘Come down quickly!’”

Berean Standard Bible
So the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. And the captain said to Elijah, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down at once!’ ”

King James Bible
Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.

New King James Version
Then he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty men. And he answered and said to him: “Man of God, thus has the king said, ‘Come down quickly!’ ”

New American Standard Bible
So the king again sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty men. And he said to him, “You man of God, this is what the king says: ‘Come down quickly!’”

NASB 1995
So he again sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he said to him, “O man of God, thus says the king, ‘Come down quickly.’”

NASB 1977
So he again sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said to him, “O man of God, thus says the king, ‘Come down quickly.’”

Legacy Standard Bible
So he again sent to him another commander of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and spoke to him, “O man of God, thus says the king, ‘Come down quickly.’”

Amplified Bible
So King Ahaziah again sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty [fighting men]. And he said to him, “Man of God, thus says the king, ‘Come down quickly.’”

Christian Standard Bible
So the king sent another captain with his fifty men to Elijah. He took in the situation and announced, “Man of God, this is what the king says: ‘Come down immediately! ’ ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So the king sent another captain of 50 with his 50 men to Elijah. He took in the situation and announced, “Man of God, this is what the king says: ‘Come down immediately!’”

American Standard Version
And again he sent unto him another captain of fifty and his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.

Contemporary English Version
Ahaziah sent another officer and 50 more soldiers to Elijah. The officer said, "Man of God, the king orders you to come see him at once."

English Revised Version
And again he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The king sent another officer with 50 men to Elijah. The officer said, "Man of God, this is what the king says: Come here right away!"

Good News Translation
The king sent another officer with fifty men, who went up and said to Elijah, "Man of God, the king orders you to come down at once!"

International Standard Version
Later the king tried again—he sent another company of 50 soldiers, along with their leader, who ordered Elijah, "Hey, man of God! This is what the king orders: 'Come down!'"

Majority Standard Bible
So the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. And the captain said to Elijah, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down at once!’”

NET Bible
The king sent another captain and his fifty soldiers to retrieve Elijah. He went up and told him, "Prophet, this is what the king says, 'Come down at once!'"

New Heart English Bible
Again he sent to him another captain of fifty and his fifty. And he went up and said to him, "Man of God, the king has said, 'Come down quickly.'"

Webster's Bible Translation
Again also he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said to him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.

World English Bible
Again he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. He answered him, “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down quickly!’”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And he turns and sends to him another head of fifty and his fifty, and he answers and speaks to him, “O man of God, thus said the king: Hurry, come down.”

Young's Literal Translation
And he turneth and sendeth unto him another head of fifty and his fifty, and he answereth and speaketh unto him, 'O man of God, thus said the king, Haste, come down.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will turn back and send to him another captain of fifty and his fifty. And he will answer and speak to him, O man of God, thus said the king, Come down quickly.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And again he sent to him another captain of fifty men, and his fifty with him. And he said to him: Man of God, thus saith the king: Make haste and come down.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And again, he sent to him another leader of fifty, and the fifty with him. And he said to him, “Man of God, thus says the king: Hurry, descend.”

New American Bible
The king sent another captain with his company of fifty men after Elijah. He shouted up and said, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down immediately!’ ”

New Revised Standard Version
Again the king sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. He went up and said to him, “O man of God, this is the king’s order: Come down quickly!”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Again he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he spoke to him, saying, O prophet of God, thus says the king, Come down quickly.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he turned and he sent against him a Captain of fifty others and the fifty who were with him, and he answered and said to him: “Prophet of God: Thus says the King, ‘come down quickly!’”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And again he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him: 'O man of God, thus hath the king said: Come down quickly.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the king sent a second time to him another captain of fifty, and his fifty. And the captain of fifty spoke to him, and said, O man of God, thus says the king, Come down quickly.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Elijah Denounces Ahaziah
10Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men. 11 So the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. And the captain said to Elijah, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down at once!’” 12Again Elijah replied, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men.…

Cross References
Luke 9:54-56
When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” / But Jesus turned and rebuked them. / And He and His disciples went on to another village.

Matthew 26:53
Are you not aware that I can call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?

Revelation 11:5
If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone who wants to harm them must be killed.

1 Kings 18:36-38
At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached the altar and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and have done all these things at Your command. / Answer me, O LORD! Answer me, so that this people will know that You, the LORD, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back again.” / Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water in the trench.

Exodus 7:10-12
So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent. / But Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers and magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same things by their magic arts. / Each one threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up the other staffs.

Numbers 16:35
And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

1 Samuel 12:16-18
Now, therefore, present yourselves and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes. / Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call on the LORD to send thunder and rain, so that you will know and see what a great evil you have committed in the sight of the LORD by asking for a king.” / So Samuel called to the LORD, and on that day the LORD sent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

2 Kings 2:23-24
From there, Elisha went up to Bethel, and as he was walking up the road, a group of boys came out of the city and jeered at him, chanting, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” / Then he turned around, looked at them, and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Suddenly two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.

2 Kings 6:13-17
So the king said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send men to capture him.” On receiving the report, “Elisha is in Dothan,” / the king of Aram sent horses, chariots, and a great army. They went there by night and surrounded the city. / When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early in the morning, behold, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?” ...

Daniel 3:19-25
At this, Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders to heat the furnace seven times hotter than usual, / and he commanded some mighty men of valor in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing fiery furnace. / So they were tied up, wearing robes, trousers, turbans, and other clothes, and they were thrown into the blazing fiery furnace. ...

Acts 5:1-11
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. / With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds for himself, but brought a portion and laid it at the apostles’ feet. / Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land? ...

Acts 12:21-23
On the appointed day, Herod donned his royal robes, sat on his throne, and addressed the people. / And they began to shout, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!” / Immediately, because Herod did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

Hebrews 12:29
“For our God is a consuming fire.”

Genesis 19:24
Then the LORD rained down sulfur and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens.

Leviticus 10:1-2
Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command. / So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died in the presence of the LORD.


Treasury of Scripture

Again also he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said to him, O man of God, thus has the king said, Come down quickly.

Again

Numbers 16:41
But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD.

1 Samuel 6:9
And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.

Isaiah 26:11
LORD, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them.

O man

1 Samuel 22:17-19
And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD…

Proverbs 29:12
If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.

Isaiah 32:7
The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.

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Captain Elijah Fifty Haste Head King's Order Quickly Speaketh Turneth
2 Kings 1
1. Moab rebels
2. Ahaziah, sending to Baal-Zebub, has his judgement by Elijah
5. Elijah twice brings fire from heaven on those Ahaziah sent to apprehend him.
13. He pities the third captain,
15. and, encouraged by an angel, tells the king of his death
17. Jehoram succeeds Ahaziah














So the king sent
This phrase indicates the persistence of King Ahaziah in his attempt to control the prophet Elijah. The Hebrew root for "sent" is שָׁלַח (shalach), which often implies a mission or a directive. Historically, this reflects the authority and power of a king in ancient Israel, who could command his subjects to carry out his will. Ahaziah's repeated sending of captains underscores his desperation and perhaps his misunderstanding of the divine authority that Elijah represents.

to Elijah
Elijah, whose name means "My God is Yahweh," is a central prophetic figure in the Old Testament. His role as a prophet is to speak God's truth to power, often in opposition to the idolatrous practices of Israel's kings. The mention of Elijah here reminds us of his previous confrontations with royal authority, particularly with King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, Ahaziah's parents. Elijah's presence signifies the ongoing conflict between the worship of Yahweh and the encroaching pagan influences.

another captain with his fifty men
The repetition of sending a captain with fifty men highlights the king's determination and the seriousness of the situation. The number fifty in the Bible often symbolizes completeness or a significant group, suggesting the king's attempt to exert full military pressure. This also reflects the hierarchical military structure of ancient Israel, where captains commanded groups of fifty, a common military unit size.

And the captain said to him
The captain's role is as a messenger of the king, yet his approach to Elijah is crucial. The Hebrew word for "said" is אָמַר (amar), which can imply a command or a request. The captain's words reflect the king's authority but also set the stage for the divine response that follows. This interaction is a test of allegiance—whether to earthly authority or divine command.

Man of God
This title for Elijah acknowledges his prophetic office and divine authority. In Hebrew, "Man of God" is אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים (ish ha-Elohim), a term used for prophets who are seen as representatives of God's will. The captain's use of this title, whether respectful or sarcastic, acknowledges Elijah's spiritual authority, setting up a contrast between human and divine power.

this is what the king says
The phrase underscores the king's attempt to assert his authority over Elijah. It reflects a common biblical formula for delivering a royal decree, similar to "Thus says the king." This mirrors the prophetic formula "Thus says the Lord," highlighting the tension between human and divine messages. The king's words are juxtaposed against the divine authority that Elijah represents.

Come down at once!
This command is direct and urgent, reflecting the king's impatience and perhaps his frustration. The Hebrew root for "come down" is יָרַד (yarad), which can mean to descend or to submit. The urgency of "at once" indicates the king's desire for immediate compliance, yet it also sets the stage for the demonstration of God's power through Elijah. This command challenges Elijah's authority and, by extension, God's sovereignty, which will be addressed in the subsequent verses.

(11) Again also he sent.--Although he had heard what had befallen his former envoys.

He answered.--LXX., "went up" (way-ya'al for way-ya'an), as in 2Kings 1:9; 2Kings 1:13.

And said.--Heb., spake. Yet some MSS., and Vulgate, Syriac, Arabic, as Authorised Version.

Thus hath the king said.--Or, commanded ('?mar).

Come down quickly.--"Impudentior fuit hic . . . priore tum quia audito ejus supplicio non resipuit, tum quia auxit impudentiam addendo 'Festina'" (a Lapide). (But see Note on 2Kings 1:12.)

Verse 11. - Again also; rather, and again (see the Revised Version). He answered and said; rather, he spoke and said (ἐλάησε καὶ εἴτε, LXX.). Come down quickly. The king has grown impatient. It is conceivable that the death of the first captain with his band of fifty had been kept from him, and that he was only aware of an unaccountable delay. He therefore changes his order from "Come down" to "Come down quickly."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So the king sent
וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח (way·yiš·laḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

to Elijah
אֵלָ֛יו (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

another
אַחֵ֖ר (’a·ḥêr)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 312: Hinder, next, other

captain
שַׂר־ (śar-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8269: Chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince

[with his] fifty [men].
וַחֲמִשָּׁ֑יו (wa·ḥă·miš·šāw)
Conjunctive waw | Number - common plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2572: Fifty

And [the captain]
וַיַּ֙עַן֙ (way·ya·‘an)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6030: To answer, respond

said
וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר (way·ḏab·bêr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

to [Elijah],
אֵלָ֔יו (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

“Man
אִ֚ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

of God,
הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים (hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

the king
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

declares,
אָמַ֥ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘Come down
רֵֽדָה׃ (rê·ḏāh)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend

at once!’”
מְהֵרָ֥ה (mə·hê·rāh)
Adverb
Strong's 4120: A hurry, promptly


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OT History: 2 Kings 1:11 Again he sent to him another captain (2Ki iiKi ii ki 2 kg 2kg)
2 Kings 1:10
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